Softening apparatus



J May I, 1929; F. M. FURB ER SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed ieb. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l fiy 1929- F. M. FUR BEIQ in 1,711,592

' SOFTENING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES Arsr 'FF-l-CE;

FREDERICK M. FURBE-It, OF REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON,

NEW JERSEY.

SOFTENING Application filed February This invention relates to apparatus for treating shoes in process of manufacture, and more especially to apparatus for softening the uppers preparatory to shaping them to the lasts.

heat under suitable regulation, and for supplying also, when the character of the work requires or permits it, a moist vapor, to soften the parts to be shaped.

T he accompanying drawings illustrate an improved type of apparatus designed to heat the work and also to convert water into hot moistvapor for the purpose stated. A feature of the invention consists in improved means by which, under one condition of regulation, dry heat alone may be furnished to treat the work, and by which, under other conditions of regulation, various quantities of hot moist vapor may be generated to supplement the effects of the heat.

' Another object of the invention is to pro vide a construction in which efficiency and economy with respect to the heat and moist vapor will be insured. Too much moist vapor is detrimental, since it may stain or otherwise work injury to the shoes, it overloads the atmosphere of the work room with moisture, and involves waste. Accordingly another feature of the invention consists in improved means for supplying heat and no more than enough moist vapor to satisfy the requirements of the work. The invention therefore comprises means for holding a small body of Water under one or more work-stations, and a heat-radiating element arranged between the work stations and the body of water to heat the work by upward radiation and to vaporize the water partly by downward radiation and partly by contact with the surface of the water. The heating means is designed to preclude an excessive volume of vapor but to heat the vapor to the maximum temperature consistent with the requirements of shoe leather.

Another feature of the invention consists in a novel arrangement of the heating means and the means for holding the small body of water to be vaporized, by wlich arrange-l ment the volume of vapor may be regulated. For example, by maintaining the water level relatively low and thereby preventing the water from touching the relatively hot part of the heating means the vapor output may be restricted, but the quantity may be in- An object of the invention is; to provide improved means .for supplying new messy, n CORPORATION or APPARATUS.

2, 1923. Serial No. 616,802.

creased by raising the level of the water until the latter touches the relatively hot part of the heating means. The vapor r output may therefore be quickly increased and dereased by regulating the feeding of Water to the receptacle by which it is held adacent to the heating means. 1 Still another object of the invention is to irovideagainst overflow which would otherwise occur if, for example, the user turned elf the heating means without turning ofil the supply. of water.. In this respect the invention provides interdependent controls for the heating means and the water-supplyin Novel features of the work-supporting means not claimedherein constitute the subject-matter of my divisional application Serial No. 13,149 filed March 5,1925.

Other features of the invention are illus-v trated by the accompanying drawings and are hereinafter described and claimed. Referring to the drawings, v Fig. 1 is a. front elevation partly in section of a preferred form of apparatus; and Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly broken away to show interior construction. The illustrated apparatus is designed to treat four shoes at a time, and while the following description deals specifically in some respects with a four-shoe capacity it will be apparent that it would be within the scope of the invention to make the capacity greater or smaller.

A metallic structure 10 is formed to pro- .vide a series of treating chambers 11 in which the shoes may receive individual treatment, said chambers being formed by a cowl 12 and partitions 13, 14 and 15. For manufacturing reasons the structure 10 may preferably be a single body of cast iron, but its utility does not require unitary construction. In addition to the aforesaid cowl and partitions it includes a bottom wall 16 and a horizontal partition 17 between which is a shallow space 18 constituting one or more vaporizing chambers. For a purpose hereinafter explained the space 18 is preferably divided by a vertical partition 19 to provide two non-communicating vaporizing chambers. The horizontal partition 17 baffles and heats the vapor but is provided with holes 20 to permit vapor b0 rise from the chambers 18 to the treating chambers 11. Foraminous metal plates 21 may be arranged on the partition 17 to prevent the work from touching the latter and to distribute the vapor more evenly in. the treating chambers, the holes in said plates being much smaller and more closely spaced than those in the partition 17.

Bosses 22 are formed on the under side of the partition 17 and have chambers to contain heating means. According to the illustrated apparatus these bosses and chambers are designed to take electric heating units 23, but it would be within the scope of the invention to provide any other means to heat the structure instead of'usingelectric units. The bosses 22'are preferably located in vertical register respectively with the partitions 13 and 15 and are therefore midway between the centers of the work stations or treating chambers. Each boss 22 will therefore conduct heat equally to the walls of the two contiguous treating chamhers, but to prevent the concentration of too much heat in the partitions 13 and 15, the'l'atter are preferably separated from the partitions 17 Consequently a large proportion of heat will be conducted from the bosses 22 to those portions of the partition 17 that underlie the work-stations and thence to the rear wall of the cowl before reaching the partitions l8 and 15, andwill be evenly distributed through the walls and partitions of the cowl to prevent condensation of the vapor.

The bottom wall 16 of the vaporizing chamber is formed to provide troughs 25 under and in nested relation with thebosses 22 respectively. These troughs are so small and so close to the bosses that water contained in themwill be rapidly vaporized partly by downward radiation and partly by conduction of heat from the bosses. As the vapor rises it is divided and further heatedby the bosses after which it is spread laterally and heated bythe partition 17 before passing through the holes 20 in the latter. Since the heated bodies of water are small the volume of vapor will be correspondingly small but the temperature of the vapor will be as high as is consistent with the maximum requirements of shoe leather.

The illustrated apparatus includes a stand or frame comprising uprights 26 whichmay be of a suitable length to provide a bench stand orof greater length-to provide a floor stand, as preferred. The treating element lOis arranged between the uprights and is supported horizontal pin-and-socket connections designed to minimize the loss of heat by conduction. According to the illustrated design the pins for such connections are fastened to the uprights While the sockets are formed in the ends of the struc ture 10, although it would be within the scope of the invention to reverse this arrangement. The pins 27, 27 constitute trunnions and are ample to support the structure 10, while the pins 28 prevent the latter from swinging on said trunnions. For purposes of adjustment the pins 27 and 28 have screw connection with the uprights. To maintain said pin-and-socltct connections the uprights are connected to each other by means other than the structure 10, said connecting means, as shown, including a water reservoir 29 and a casing 30 in which elements of electrical equipment are housed. The reservoir 29 and casing 30 are rigidly connected to each other by'screws 81.

Water, under suitable regulation, flows by gravity from the reservoir 29 to the troughs 25. Since two troughs 25 are provided a. duplex regulator is fastened to the under side of the reservoir and comprises two needle valves A vertical duct 33 leads the water from the reservoir to a horizontal duct 34 by which the water is divided into two streams. The needle valves 32 cooperate respectively with the ends of the duct 34 to regulate the rate at which the two streams of water will be discharged. This device provides a sight feed by which the operator may observe the rate at which the water is flowing and may regulate the needle valves accordingly. As the water drips from the needle valves it is caught by cups 35 and conducted thence by tubes 36 to the troughs. It is thus possible to regulate the supply of water from observation and to restrict it to a volume commensurate with the desired volume of vapor.

The bottoms of the bosses are preferably semi-cylindric, and the vapor produced by downward radiation and by conduction of heat through the metal to the troughs 25 is sufiicient in many cases. In such cases the water may be regulated to prevent it from touching the bosses 22, but a greater quantity of vapor will be produced if the water is permitted to touch the bosses, since the latter are the hottest parts of the structure 10.

By restricting the capacity of the troughs to quantities of water that will be vaporized in ashort space of time the burden on the heating elements and the consumption of current are minimized. Furthermore, since no large volume of water is heated at one time, and since immersion of the bosses 22 is never more than a small fraction of an inch, it is possible to discontinue the production of vapor in a short space of time merely by shutting off the flow of cold water from the reservoir.

It is possible to shut cit the supply of water by turning the needle valves until they are tightly seated, but the invention provides other means for this purpose to avoid disturbing the regulation of the needle valves. A shut-off valve 38 is formed on the lower end of a stem 39 extending throughout a valve guide 40 in the upper part of the reservoir. A compressionv spring 41 is arranged on the stem and normally presses the valve toward its seat, which is the receiving end of the duct- 33. An arm 42 carried by the valve stem is arranged to cooperate with a cam surface 43 on a boss formed on the top of the reservoir. By swinging the arm in one direction about the axis of the stem 39 it is caused to ride up on the cam surface 43, thus lifting the valve 38 from its seat, and by swinging the arm away from the cam surface the spring 41 is permitted to seat the Valve. 1

The provision of a duplex water-feede in combination with the duplex vaporizing chamber as formed by the partition 19 permits regulating the quantity of vapor for one pair of treating chambers independently of that for the other pair. For example, one pair could be used to administer the maximum quantity of vapor while the other pair is used to administer a relatively small quantity, or, by closing one of the needle .valves while the other remains open, the

apparatus would be caused to administer moist vapor in one pair of treating chambers while administering only dry heat in the other pair.

To guard against flooding the apparatus the Valve-arm 42 is preferably formed and arranged to require turning off the Water before the heating element can be turned off. For example, when electricity is used the operating circuit may be opened 7 and closed by turning the knob 44 of an electric switch. The arm 42 carries a guard 45-by which access to the knob 44 is prevented when the arm is on the cam surface 43, as shown by Fig. 1. The guard shown is a ring and surrounds the knob 44. See also Fig. 2. The casing 30 contains among other electrical equipment, a rheostat 46 in series with the switch 44 and heating units to regulate the heating effect of the latter. The conductors for connecting the heating units with the rheostat are enclosed in a flexible metallic tube 47 The treating chambe'rs are preferably made large enough to accommodate shoes of the largest size, but when smaller shoes are placed in them for treatment the extra space would be detrimental to the efficiency of the apparatus. To counteractthis detrimental condition each treating chamber is provided with an adjustable baffle-plate 50 arranged to overhang the work. These baffle-plates are preferably made of sheet metal and are connected by hinges 51 to the rear walls of the chambers. Although they are separated from each other and independently hinged they arepreferably conpled to permit them to be adjusted collectively. For this purpose their front p0ris preferable to adjust the bafileplate's 50 toward them. This regulates the effective area of the treating chambers according to the space occupied by the work and confines the treating medium in close relation-to the work. It also restricts the opening through which the treating medium escapes and thereby confines the treating medium in the chambers for a longer period of time.

Fig. 2 includes portions of a preferred type of work supporting means which forms the subject-matter of the aforesaid divisional application Serial No. 13,149. The portions of said means shown in Fig. 2 are as follows: a notched board 55, for supporting the foreparts of the shoes inserted for treatment, a metal piece 61 screwed to one edge of said board, a clamping bolt 62 screwed into the piece 61. and an angularly adjustable bar 63 clamped against the piece 61 by the bolt 62. The bar 63 and another like it support an adjustable itld arranged to support the heel ends of the shoes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is':

1. A. shoe-treating apparatus comprising a heat-radiating member, means for supply ing heat thereto, means for holding and localizing a small body of water under and adjacent to said member, a portion of said member being formed and arranged to project downwardly into said body of water to vaporize the latter and another portion thereof projecting laterally beyond said water to spread and superheat the vapor rising from said water, and means for supporting an article of work in the field of radiant heat from said member and in the field of the superheated vapor spread there- 2. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising means forming a work-station, means for holding and localizing a small. body of under said station, and a heat-radiating element arranged between said work-station and said body of water but having a portion arranged to project downwardly into the.

water to vaporize the latter, aid downwardly projecting portion having a chamber for heating means.

3. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a metallic plate having a hollow port-ion depending from its under side for enclosing a heating element, and means under and close to said hollow portion to hold and localize a small body of water in contact with said depending portion to be vaporized thereby, and means arranged to replenish said body of Water.

l. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a heat-radiating plate having a hollow boss on its under side to contain a heating elcment, and a receptacle under and in register with said boss to hold a small body of water in contact with said boss to be vaporized thereby, said plate having one or more holes through which the vapor may rise totreat work above it.

' 5. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising; means forming two work-stations adapted to receivetwo shoes side by side, means arranged to hold a body of water below the level of said stations and formed to localize.

the water between the centers thereof, and heating means arranged between said level and the water-level and substantially midway between said centers to vaporize the water and to divide the vapor and deflect the divided currents thereof toward said centers respectively.

6. A shoe'treating apparatus comprising atreatment chamber to receive the work, a heating element enclosed in the bottom wall of said chamber, and a receptacle arranged to hold a body of liquid under and in contact with a portion of said wall for vaporization thereby and application to the work but leaving a portion of said wall above the water to heat the work by direct radiation, said wall having an opening through which the vapor may flow to work stationed above it.

7. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a hollow metallic structure forming a vapor chamber of relatively shallow andrelatively great lateral dimensions and comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, and upright walls connecting the top and bottom Walls, said bottom wall having a depression to hold and localize a small body of water, and said top wall having a boss on its under side projecting into said depression, said boss hav ing a chamber to contain a heating element and being adapted to vaporize the water in the depression, said top wall also having one or more holes through which the vapor may rise to treat work above it.

8. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising adjacent treatment chambers separated by a heat-conducting wall, and a heat-radiating element situated adjacent to the wall to deliver to plural chambers, there-being a gap in the intermediate wall arranged to prevent the direct conduction of heat therethrough from the element.

9. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a hollow metallic body including a substantially horizontal wall to provide two workstations side byiside, and including a cowl to cover said work-stations, said wall having a chamber between the centers of said work-stations to contain a heating element, and said cowl having a partition to separate said workstations, said partition and said horizontal wall beingspaced from each other to provide an air gap.

10. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a metallic body including a substantially horizontal wall to provide a series of workstations, a cowl to cover said workstations, and partitions to isolate said work-stations from each other, said partitions being spaced from said horizontal wall to provide ther mal gaps, and said wall having chambers in register with said gaps to contain heating means.

11. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a trough for holding a small quantity of water, regulatable means for supplying water at a slow rate to said trough, and a metallic heat-radiating member above said trough and having a portion projecting dmvnwardly into said trough and a bafile portionextending laterally above the level or the top of said trough, said member also having a chamber above said level for heating means to vaporize the water in said trough and to heat the vapor above said level.

12. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a metallic member having a cowl portion forming a treating station, a vapor chamber underlying said station, a horizontal partition dividing said station and chamber and having one or more holes to emit vapor from said chamber to said station, a water receptacle below and adjoining said vapor chamher, a hollow boss adjoining said partition and suspended in said receptacle to project into the water in the receptacle, and heating means arranged in said boss to vaporize the Water and superheat the vapor.

1 3. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a metallic member forming a treatment chamber and a shallow vaporizing chamber under it-with a metallic partition forming the bottom of the first said chamber and the top of the second chamber, and means for supplying water to said vaporizing chamber, said partition having a hollow projection depending from its under side to contain heating means and to project into and vaporize the water in said shallow chamber, said partition also having one ormore holes to admit the vapor from said vaporizing chamber into said treatment chamber.

14. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a hollow metallic heataadiating member having three separate chambers at different levels, v1z., a treatment chamber at the top, a shallow vaporizing chamber at the bottom, and an intermediate chamber to contain heating means, said treatment chamber and said vaporizing chamber hav ing direct communication with each other past said intermediate chamber, and regulatable means for supplying water to said vaporizing chamber so that the water level may be varied as desired.

15. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a hollow metallic heat-radiating mem her having a vaporizing chamber, a de ression in the bottom of said chamber to hold a small body of water, a portion oepending from the upper part of said chamber into nested relation with said depression, said depending portion havinga chamber for heating means, and regulatable means for supplying water to any desired level in said depression to be vaporized, the upper part of said chamber having one .or more holes to release vapor to work stationed above it.

16. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a cowl having an opening to receive the toe of a shoe a treating station, and adjustable means arranged to overlie the toe to regulate the size of said opening and the depth of the shoe-receiving space in said cowl.

17. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a cowl adapted to envelop the toe of a shoe at a treating station, and a battle arranged to overhang the toe to form the top of the shoe-receiving space, that edge of the baflie thatis toward the instep of the shoe being adjustable up and down relatively to the bottom of the cowl.

1 18. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising.

' the toe of the shoe, and adjustable means for supporting the forward portion of said baflie at various levels to regulate the depth of the shoe-receiving space.

19. Ashoe-treating apparatus comprising means forming a series of individual treating chambers each adapted to receive the toe of a shoe, individual baffles arranged in said chambers respectively to overhang the toes, and adjusting means connecting said baflles to adjust them collectively up and down.

20. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising means forming a series of individual treating chambers each adapted to receive the toe of a shoe, individual battles arranged in said chambers respectively to overhang the toes, the rear portions of said bafiles being hinged to said means and the forward portions being outside said chambers and adjustable up and down, means connecting said forward portions to communicate such adjustment to them all collectively, and adjustable means for supporting said forward portions at various levels.

21. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising heating means, means for supplying liquid thereto, means for controlling the heat, means for controlling the liquid, and means operable with one 01 said controlling means for preventing the operation of the other..

A shoe-treating apparatus comprising heating means for converting Water into vapor to treat the work, a control for said means, means for supplying Water to said heating means to be vaporized, and a control for the water supply, one of said controls member for controlling the heat, means for supplying water to said heating means to be vaporized, a control for the water-supply,

and means coupled to and operable with said control to prevent manipulation of said manually operable member.

25. A shoe-treating apparatuscomprising heating means, moisture-supplying means, and two manually operable controls for said two means respectively, one of said controls being arranged to control access tothe other.

26. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising heating means, a handle for controlling said means, moisture-supplying means, and a handle for controllig the latter, one of said handles beingmov'able to and from a position where it prevents access to the other.

27. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising heating means for converting water into vapor to treat the Work, a member for controlling the heat, means for supplying Water to said heating means, and water-controlling means including a member movable to a position where it prevents manipulation of said heat-controlling member and permits the water-supplying means to function, said water-controlling member being movable from said position to stop the Water supply and permit manipulation of said heat-controlling member. V

28. A fluid-applying apparatus comprising electrically operated means for acting upon the fluid, means for controlling'the supply of electricity thereto, means for controlling the supply of fluid, and means operable by one of the controlling means for governing the other.

29. An apparatus comprising electrically operated means for administering a fluid to an article of Work, a manually operative control for the electric current by which said means is operated, and means for supplying a fluid to said-electrically operated means to be administered thereby, said supplying means including a manually operative control for opening and closing the supply or fluid and said. two controls being constructed and organized to prevent manipulation of the first said control when the other is in open position.

30. An apparatus comprising electrically operative means for administering a fluid to an articleof Work, a manually operative control for the electric current by which said means isoperated, and means for supplying a fluid to said electrically operated means to be administered thereby, said supplying means including a manuallyoperative control for opening and closing the supply of said fluid, and said controls being so constructed and organized that'said i'luid control, when in open position, will prevent operation of said I electric control.

31. An apparatus comprising electrically ope "ative means for administering a fluid to an article of work, a manually operative control vfor the electric current by which saidmeans is operated, and means for supplying a fluid to said electrically operated means :to be administered thereby, said supplying means including a manually operative control for opening and closing the supply of said fluid, and said two controls being-so constructed and organized that one of them when in one position will prevent manipulation of the other. 7

32. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising means forming a'series of pairs of treating stations, a series of Water-heating elements each formed. and arranged to furnish vapor to two adjacent stations of said series, and means to furnish individual supplies of water to said elements to be converted into vapor.

33. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising means forming a series of pairs of treating stations, a series of Water-heating elements each adapted to convert water into vapor and to distribute such vapor in substantially equal quantities to two-adjacent stations of said series, and means to furnish individual supplies of water to said elements to be converted into vapor.

84. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a frame, a heater for administering treatment to the Work, and a plurality of screws arranged to connect said frame and said heater to mount and support the latter out of contact with the frame and to maintain it against displacement.

A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a pair of uprights, a heater arranged between them, and trunnions connecting said heater with said uprights respectively to support the heater out of contact with the uprights.

86. A shoe-treating apparatus comprising a pair of uprights, a heater arranged be tween said iu 'rights, means forming horizontal pin-andsocket connections between said heater and said uprights, and meansother than said heater connecting said uprights to maintain said pin-and-socket conections.

37. .A shoe-trcatingapparatus comprising a pair of uprights, a heater arranged between said uprights, means forming horizontal pin-and-socket connections between said heater and said uprights, means including a. water-reservoir connecting said uprights to maintain. said pin-and-socket connections, and means arranged tor-supply water from said reservoir to said heater to be vaporized. by the latter.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification;

FREDERICK M. FURBER. 

